Apple iPhone 4S arriving this year in place of iPhone 5?

With the frenzy of the iPhone 5 rumour mill now working itself to a head, we're hearing more disappointing (but still speculative) news on the fate of Apple's iPhone 5.

More bad omens for those of you still keeping both fingers crossed for a redesigned iPhone 5 launch this October: according to tech bloggers Pocket-Lint, we may be in store for nothing more than a souped-up iPhone 4, the iPhone 4S.

Pocket-Lint picked up the story from Greek tech site DigitalLife, who claim that anonymous sources close to the situation (aren't they always?) have confirmed that the next generation of iPhone will be more like the transition from the iPhone 3G to the 3GS, than from the 3GS to the iPhone 4. Tweaks reportedly include an updated camera, this one snapping 8MP stills and recording video at 1080p, and the dual-core A5 processor currently powering the world's iPad 2s.

Rumours about the iPhone 4S are beginning to gain traction, with keen-eyed Apple fans yesterday spotting what appeared to be iPhone 4S protective cases that reveal a form factor similar to the iPhone 4, and rumours of screen manufacturing problems delaying the iPhone 5. We're not saying we wouldn't love a nippier version of the iPhone 4, but with all the massive-screened Android handsets foisting themselves upon us these days, that 3.5-inch iPhone screen is going to start feeling pretty pokey in comparison.